Here we go: McCain criticizes Obama on national security

[depakid]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Republican John McCain on Monday dismissed Democratic rival Barack Obama as having zero national security experience. Arriving in North Carolina on the eve of the presidential primary, McCain said there are stark differences between him and the two Democratic candidates, Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton. But he concentrated on Obama in particular.

"Senator Obama wants to sit down with an Iranian leader who is dedicated to wiping Israel off the map — his words," McCain told reporters on his campaign bus. "I don't think we should give him that kind of prestige. "Senator Obama has obviously has no national security experience, and therefore that's reflected in his judgment on a number of those issues."
.........

Obama, in an effort to reassure Jewish voters about his candidacy, last month criticized former President Carter for meeting with leaders of the Islamic terrorist group Hamas, saying, "We must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel's destruction."

Yet Obama also said he's willing to make diplomatic overtures to Iran even though it has funded Hamas and other militant groups.

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor responded by criticizing McCain's support for the war in Iraq.

"John McCain has the experience of being Washington's biggest supporter of a disastrous war in Iraq," the spokesman said.

McCain, who also questioned Obama's credentials on the economy, was asked if he thought Obama had experience in any areas. Probably, McCain said, "I think on many issues, (but) certainly not on the level of mine." :+

More: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iE2JCSH5p9r2GBkQWS9TWAMzmuvQD90FPHCG4

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Who would want Gramps sitting next to the red button?

Not I ..........

[pinkpops]

2. And who wants 4 more years of GWB?

[nebulovsky]

14. Sadly, most Americans want grandpa to pick up the 3 AM phone call in case of crisis

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2008/03/poll-signals-th.html
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1468

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. Oooooo...I'm so askeert!

Big Bad Republican Bullies will beat us up in the gen-rahl 'lection! Ooooo, I'm a tremblin', I am.

[babylonsister]

4. Diplomacy, how novel. McCain should really think about it; him

parroting dimson won't lure people to him.

[depakid]

5. I want to see Obama spokepersons hammer home the point: "what kind of experience"

Yep, McCain's experienced alright- in DOZENS of failed policies, and like most Republicans, he never learns....

[babylonsister]

6. I'm sure they're itching to hammer it home...they just need a ripe

opportunity when the m$m are concentrating only on them, not 3 or 4 people.

[Boz]

7. See even John McCain knows theres been a shift

[cliffordu]

8. Bingo!

[depakid]

10. I don't think I'd interpret it that way

He just sees an opportunity to get some attention for himself on an issue he believes Obama is weak on....

and indeed, the conventional "wisdom" would say that he is right....

[bluestateguy]

9. He's right: Obama has no experience getting us into a quagmire, bullshit war

And that's what I intend to vote for.

[Auntie Bush]

11. Too bad he doesn't have the experience to get us out!

[FrenchieCat]

18. And does Hillary? Hell, her experience only includes getting us in.

Remember?

[depakid]

21. The Clintons do have experience getting in and out of regional conflicts

with some successful outcomes -as with the Balkans

And some not so successful -as with Somalia.

On the whole, DEMOCRATS (for all their contentiousness) have had far better foreign policy outcomes than Republican ideologues -and I for one hope that the younger people here who didn't live through these times, will have a look and consider for themselves the policies, the actors and party's as they were at the time.

To some, this stuff is boring history, amenable to easy armchair spin- yet to others, it's like yesterday.

I hear a lot about how Hillary is dishonest- and damn, I sure wish that every person who in haste called me a hillbot could read some shit that I've written about the Clintons on DU over the years.

Pretty damning on the policy level, I reckon.

Even so, Politics is what it is- and there's plenty a critical thinker can both find fault with and support- or even hope for.

Around about September- we should and will be on the same team.

[boppers]

12. Repeating one's failures is not experience.

It's insanity.

[gravity]

13. Haha, I would love to see a debate on this

McCain doesn't know what the hell he is talking about on foreign policy

[TheDonkey]

15. Who the hell is John McCain

seriously wow, I haven't heard from him in awhile.

[vixengrl]

16. Best definition statement of McCain on this topic--

"John McCain has the experience of being Washington's biggest supporter of a disastrous war in Iraq," the spokesman said.

A good part of Americans' discontent (and Bush's low approval ratings, and the high numbers on the question of "Is the country going in the right direction?") has to do with the war. Many now understand they weren't given the truth, and feel it was a bad idea. They know it affects our policy elsewhere in the world and has had a bad effect on our economy. Answer: Associate McCain with his constant support of it. Play up his unrealistic p.o.v. Point out that Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Cheney--all "experienced"--all contributed to the big mess. It changes the focus from "experience" to "perpective."

[depakid]

17. Yep- and there's also a lil bit of hypocrisy to consider

one might also frame it as: how or why has McCain's mind changed from this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3249394&mesg_id=3249394

to this:

[vixengrl]

19. John McCain is one of the rare individuals who can take

both sides of an issue, and be wrong on each one. He'll repeat the "short, happy war, low casualties, greeted as liberators" line, and then come back around to say he was "always critical" of Don Rumsfeld. He'll take a stand against torture "on principle", then it'll water down to, it's a-ok if you're CIA. Well, then, what was the principle about? It seems like, instead of firm ideas about how things should be done that would come with experience as an office-holder that has *taught* him lessons, his position changes suggest, well, he'll say anything and compromise often to get elected from his *experience* at running for office.

[depakid]

23. You're right

That'll be the spin.

[GoldieAZ49]

20. McCain is correct

Obama doesn't have any national security experience

[LTR]

22. Yeah, because doing the same ol' shit over and over again has been working

Sounds like the definition of insanity.

The Bush technique is one of many reasons for all the problems we face today. Quite frankly, I'd like to see a radically different approach, rather than just a bunch of bullshit saber-rattling.

[Hippo_Tron]

24. And McGramps' foreign policy experience consist of what exactly?